Meter insulation



Filed Dec.

gime/VWO@ Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METER INSULATION Application December 26, 1934, Serial No. 759,199

8 Claims.

It is the object of my invention to provide a heat-insulating covering for a water meter. More specifically, it is myY object to produce a metercovering which can be simply and economically constructed and which can be applied to or removed from the meter without the necessity for detaching the meter from the pipes to which it is connected.

In carrying out vmy invention in its preferred embodiment I form from a sheet of suitable foramnous material, preferably expanded metal, a basket-like structure roughly conforming to the shape of the meter but considerably larger than the meter so that, when it is in place, there will be considerable space between its walls and the outer surface of the meter. This basket-like structure is applied to the meter, usually by upward movement, the basket being provided on opposite sides with'relatively deep slots which receive the pipes leading to and'from the meter. After the basket is in place, the space between it and the meter is lled with some suitable insulating material of a loose nature, preferably rock wool, and the basket is secured in place, as by securing together the edges of the aforesaid slots above the pipes.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. l is a perspective View showingthe covering being applied to a meter; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through the covering applied to a meter; and Fig. 3 is a fragmental side elevation illustrating a convenient means for securing my device in place. Y

The covering illustrated inthe drawing comprises a basket-like shell I formed of expanded metal, although other suitable foramnous material may be used. This material is cut into rectangular strips of suitable width and formed into a basket of a shape roughly corresponding to that of the meter, but of materially larger dimensions.

The basket may be formed in different ways, but I prefer to form it in dies which will dish the center portion of the strip of foramnous material, fold the end portions upwardly to extend generally vertically along the sides of the meter, and bend the extreme upper portions of the side inwardly to form a neck. The strip of foramnous material has a width approximately equal to half the circumference of the neck of the basket and somewhat less than half the circumference of the basket at its point of greatest circumference. Thus, the formed basket will have in its sides openings for the reception of the pipes Il and I2 which lead to and from the meter I3. Excess material at the bottom of the pipe-receiving openings (Cl. 154-44)v may beV gathered into folds I5 as indicated in Fig. 1.

The expanded metal, of which I prefer to make the basket I0, is formed by providing staggered rows of slits extending longitudinally of a sheet of metal and by then stretching the sheet transversely to expand the slits into generally hexagonal openings. I find that the formation of my basket from such material is greatly facilitated if the strip of which the basket is formed is so cut from the expanded-metal sheet that the longitudinal axis of the strip'is parallel with the direction in which Vthe sheet was expanded.

Inother words, strips used to form the baskets are cut from an expanded-metal sheet by shearing` such sheet on transverse lines. When the strips are thus oriented relative to the sheet from which they are cut I nd that the stretching and deformation of the metal necessary in the shaping of the basket is accomplished much more readily than when the strips extend longitudinally of the sheet. Further, if the strips are oriented in the manner just indicated as advantageous and if the` sheet of expanded metal has a width equal to the length of the strips, the relatively smooth longitudinal edges of the sheet will form the end edges of the strip and, in the finished basket, will be disposed at the basket-neck where the presence of a rough edge would be more or less objectionable.

The side edges of the strip of which the basket is formed, which are relatively rough and which, in the finished basket, will define the openings receiving the pipes I I and I2, are preferably foldk ed inwardly in the fashion of a hem I6, as is clear from Figs. 2 and 3, thus producing a bettery nish for the basket.

In applying the basket to a meter, it is convenient to first ll the bottom of the basket with loose insulating material such as rock wool. The 4 basket is then drawn upwardly around the meter, the pipes I I and I2 passing through the openings provided in thesides of the basket. Additional insulating material is then packed around the meter and within the basket approximately to the top of the basket, leaving the dial-end of the meter I3 uncovered. The basket is then secured in place by any suitable means. The securing means indicated in the drawing comprises a pair of wires 2|] which are bent generally into the form of a cotter key. In using this form of securing means, the side edges of the pipe-receiving openings in the basket-wall are brought together above the pipes II and I2 on each side of the meter and the two legs of the wire 20 are inserted into the hem IB formed by the in-turned edges of the expanded-metal strip, as shown in Fig. 3.

I claim as my invention:

1. A heat-insulating covering for a meter, comprising a basket materially larger than the meter, said basket being formed of flexible foraminous material and having a dished central portion disposed beneath the meter and wall portions extending upwardly along opposite sides thereof, the upper ends of said wall portions being deected inwardly to form a neck, the edges of said wall portions below said neck being spaced apart to provide openings for the passage of pipes connected with the meter, means for securing the side edges of said wall portions together at the neck, and loose heat-insulating material disposed in the space within said basket and around the meter.

2. A heat-insulating covering for a meter, comprising a basket materially larger than the meter,

said basket being formed of expanded metal and having a dished central portion disposed beneath the meter and wall portions extending upwardly along opposite sides thereof, the upper ends of said wall portions being deected inwardly to form a neck, the edges of said wall portions below said neck being spaced apart to provide openings for the passage of pipes connected with the meter, means for securing the side edges oi said wall portions together Vat the neck, and loose heat-insulating material disposed in the space Within said basket and around the meter.

3. A heat-insulating covering for a meter, comprising a basket materially larger than the meter, said basket being formed of flexible material and adapted to receive the meter, the side walls of said basket being provided with slots extending downwardly from the rim of the basket for the reception of pipes connected with the meter, means for securing the side edges of each slot together above said pipes to retain the basket in position, and loose heat-insulating material disposed in the space within said basket and around the meter.

4. A heat-insulating covering for a meter, comprising a basket materially larger than the meter, said basket being formed of flexible material adapted to receive the meter, the side walls of said basket being provided with slots extending downwardly from the rim of the basket 1for the reception of pipes connected with the meter, loose heat-insulating material disposed in the space within said basket and around the meter, and means for holding said basket in place with the upper end of the meter projecting beyond the rim of the basket.

5. A heat-insulating covering for a meter, comprising a basket materially larger than the meter, said basket being formed of flexible material adapted to receive the meter, the side walls of said basket being provided with slots extending downwardly from the rim of the basket for the reception of pipes connected with the meter, loose heat-insulating material disposed in the space within said basket and around the meter, and means for holding said basket in place.

6. A heat-insulating covering for a meter, comprising a basket of flexible material adapted to receive the meter, the side walls of said basket being provided with slots extending downwardly from the rim of the basket for the reception of pipes connected with the meter, the material of' the basket at the side edges of said slots being folded back upon itself, a bifurcated retaining member insertable from above within the foldedback portions at the edges of each slot, and heatinsulating material disposed within said basket and around the meter.

7. A heat-insulating covering for a meter, comprising a basket materially larger than the meter, said basket being formed of one piece of exible material and adapted to receive the meter, said basket having a plurality of separate side walls extending upwardly from a base and movable away from each other to facilitate application of the basket to the meter, loose heat-insulating material disposed in the space within the basket and around the meter, and means for holding the basket in place.

8. A heat-insulating covering for a meter, comprising a basket materially larger than the meter, said basket being formed of a piece of expanded metal bent on lines extending generally perpendicular to the direction in which the metal was expanded to provide a bottom and side walls for the basket, loose heat-insulating material disposed in the space within the basket and around the meter, and means for holding said basket in place.

JOHN L. FORD. 

